Can You Have a Spiritual Awakening and Then Go Back to Normality?

For some, the journey of spiritual awakening is a gentle transition, a slow unveiling of the self. However, for others, like myself, it can be an intensely brutal upheaval, where everything that was once familiar and stable is completely turned upside down.

A Violent Unleashing

My awakening was not a quiet transformation. It was a seismic shift that upended everything I thought I knew about myself and the world. The surface-level normality I once embraced became an illusion. What remained was a core understanding that cannot be easily shaken. This overwhelmingly transformative experience has left an indelible mark, one that refuses to let me return to the 'business as usual' of my pre-awakening mindset.

Witnessing the Sun

This transformation was illuminated by a moment of witnessing the living Sun, an experience that cannot be adequately captured by any photograph or digital image. The Sun’s surface, as viewed from my transcendent vantage point, shone with a beauty and detail that challenged my conventional understanding. It was akin to a pixellated, abstract representation of an incomparable reality. One where the flatness of the Sun’s surface was obliterated by the enormity of its detail.

Imagine the sheer magnitude of a nuclear explosion, one that obliterates the world around it, repeated countless times, each detonation more powerful than the last. This is the scale of the Sun's perpetual explosions. Yet, what sets this apart is not the destructiveness but the potency of life that permeates every second. This realization is not just an object 'out there,' but it is ruminated within me, a living, breathing second to second remembrance.

Emotional Shock and Awe

Sometimes, an unexpected revelation strikes, and I am left in a state of profound emotional shock. The magnitude of this grandeur can be so overwhelming that it brings me to tears, tears of recognition and sorrow stemming from the pitiful blindness I once embraced. It is an emotional landscape that challenges language, making even grand Hollywood depictions feel pale in comparison.

The Spiritual Awakening Process

A spiritual awakening is fundamentally about recognizing the true self, something that can be rather disorienting. It’s akin to waking up from a long dream, where you realize the illusion you were living in. Our world is driven by fear, often unconscious, implanted through societal and cultural norms. We might fear losing our jobs, becoming homeless, or the uncertainty that comes with any drastic life change. This fear is a mask for a deeper, more authentic self.

With a spiritual awakening, you come to understand that your current identity, the layers of societal conditioning, may be false. You begin to peel away these layers to discover the core of who you are. It is a profound shift, often leading to a disintegration of the old self. For the first time, you see your true self, one that challenges the constructs that once defined you. This can cause your life to fall apart as many of these constructs are illusions. It’s a journey of letting go, a process of dismantling the life you once knew, one that no longer serves you.

The Pain of Letting Go

The dark night of the soul can be intensely painful as you navigate this process of release. It is a temporal period where you are forced to let go of your old life, one that was largely rooted in illusion. This pain is real, a deep and existential struggle. Yet, on the other side of this pain, there is freedom and a new, more authentic life.

The challenge lies in staying on the path of transformation, resisting the urge to return to the familiar comforts of the old self. Once you have transcended the illusions and embraced your true self, there is no going back. The journey is one of permanent transformation, where the core understanding of what it means to be you remains unshakeable.

Conclusion

Being awake is not about a return to normality. It’s about a permanent, if sometimes chaotic, transformation. The journey is not always easy, but it is deeply transformative. It is a journey that requires embracing the unknown, the painful process of letting go, and the ultimate realization of the true self.